Diluted Beastie (Liquid Monster - Brainstorm)

Member Name: Frankingsteins

Product:	Liquid Monster - Brainstorm
Date:	03/04/08 (16 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Some nice choruses, in a bland and cheesy sort of way.

Disadvantages: A majority of filler.

Brainstorm aren't one of the more inspired or intense German power metal bands, but their laidback, poppy style has been enough to attract a modest following and see them release a consistent discography, even if it's only been consistently average. 'Liquid Monster' is their fifth album, and while it's more or less worthless and forgettable for the most part, it does offer up some admittedly catchy choruses and riffs for the more commercially-oriented metal fans to enjoy, and there's nothing wrong with that.

The main problem I have with this album is the evident lack of care put in to making it a classic, as most of the songs couldn't be more obvious filler if they tried. The first two songs start things off well, with singer Andy B. Franck putting in a rousing performance with 'Worlds Are Coming Through' and the more energetic 'Inside the Monster,' but the quality then slips drastically into the lousy slowie 'All Those Worlds,' and doesn't particularly improve even in the faster songs (and the less said about ballads like 'Heavenly,' the better). Torsten Ihlenfeld is a talented enough guitarist, displaying his talents in the simple but fun riffs of several songs and the Egyptian-style guitar solos of the first track (the Ancient Egyptians couldn't get enough of guitar solos), but on the whole the performance is lacking in energy and creativity.

Of course, not everyone listens to rock music for the virtuosity of its performers, and later songs 'Painside' and 'Burns My Soul' follow a similarly steady pace to the first song, with comparably cheesy but enjoyable sung choruses. This isn't the sort of power metal you'd like to be caught listening to by your thrash buddies, but it bridges the divide between the genre and popular music in a way that can only ever be bland, but at least makes a respite from some of the more extreme albums in a metal fan's collection. I'd like to think that this is one of Brainstorm's weaker releases.

1. Worlds Are Comin' Through
2. Inside the Monster
3. All Those Worlds
4. Lifeline
5. Invisible Enemy
6. Heavenly
7. Painside
8. Despair to Drown
9. Mask of Life
10. Even Higher
11. Burns My Soul

Summary: Brainstorm's sixth album (2005).